Improvement in harvesters



" ALMON-P. AAYERS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

. `IMPROVEMENT 1N HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent lid-104,407, datedY J une2] 1870.

To all whoml 1i-may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALMON P. AYERs, o

Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Harvesters 5. and do declare that thefollowing isa true and accurate descrip- .tion thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying-drawing, and 3to thefletters of reference markedthereon, and being a part of this specification. f The natureof thisinvention relates to an improved construction of harvesting-m achines.It consists in the combination of the devices for giving a reciprocatingmotion tothe rakehead ,the arrangement of the rake-head upon theplatform; the combination of the devices for raising the grain when cut,and for binding it; the arrangement upon 'the platform of the "devicesfor .holding thebinding-rope, and for cuttingitoif as needed; also, inthe general arrangement of its various parts, as more fully hereinafterset forth.

Figure l, Plate 1,=is aplan view of my looking from the front, toshow-the operation l of the elevator. Fig.` 5 is a bottom plan of theloop in which the elevatin g-strap travels, and

which `releases its catch, allowing the elevator `to drop. l Fig. 6 isadetached elevation-of the reciprocating rack which-v` operates therake, looking at it from the front. Fig. 7 is an elevation of the camwhich reciprocates the sicklebar. Fig. 8 is a cross-section of the same.

Like letters indicatelike parts in each iigure. y

l In the drawing, A represents the main frame ofthe carriage, in whichis mortised or otherwise secured, at one side of the center, a pair ofsills, vA1, extending from front to rear. Between these sills thetraction-wheel B is placed, its shaft rotating in suitable bearingsy `inthe` sills.` At the grainside or end ofthe frame a carrying-wheel, C, isl so placedas to support that side of thernachine, although the "princilpal weight is supported by the traction-wheel. A2 is the iinger-bar,which is attached at either end to the frame A. On the nger-bar thesickle-bar D is placed, being reciprocated by the traction-wheel throughits bevel-gear B', which rotates a short `shaft,E,v through its pinionE'. At the other end of the shaft E is a cam, F, which reciprocates acani-frame,l F', connected with the sickle-bar byapitman,A D.

G is a reel, one end of whose shaft is journaled in astandard at the'right side of -the frame, and the other in a similar standard risingfrom a metallic frame, H, extending from the front around to the rvrearof the Amachine over the inner end of the platform or apron I, which iscomposed of strips of wood or metal l running parallel with thesickle-bar, and sejustable vertically, as shown.

J is a shaft, whose rear end overhangs the l rear partof the frame ofthe machine, Vcarrying a spur-wheel, J'. .This shaft is rotated by thetractlon-wheelthroughbevel-gears'on each, as shown in dotted lines inFig. 3. Within the frame a` chain-wheel, K, is secured to the shaft J,which communicates motion toa counter-shaft, L, below,` provided withagchainl wheel, L', by means of an4 endless chain,1la, passing aroundboth. On the rear end of the counter-shaft a spur-wheel, M, is 'rigidlyse cured,

N is a bar, provided with rack-teethon ilits upper and `under sides atthe rearedges thereof,` which rack-teethfare alternately caused toengage with the spur-wheels J'Vand -M,and

`thus reciprocate the-rack-bar, the alternating engagement of the rackswith the pinions fbeing eifected in the following manner: `The in ner orplain part of .the rack-bar is provided `with an opening near eachend-of the racks;

ya stud, b, projects from the rear part'of4 the 4jfrain'e between thegears J' and M; a'spring,

c, secured to the frameunder the rack-bar,

presses the-latter upward-as it 4passes along,.- the stud underneathkeeping the rack ony its' upper sidein gear with the wheel' Vuntil the:opening at its grain` end is overfthestudb, when it drops down intoVgear with the wheel M, which reverses' the motion,n causing the rackftomovetoward the standing grain, the `stud preventing it from rising untilthe `opening at the other end reaches the stud, when the spring o throwsit upagain into gear with the wheel J', and the motion of the rack-baris again reversed.

fN' is a bar, securedat itsrear fend to the grain end of therack-barextending across and underneath the platform I, reciprocatinginface of the frame A at the rear of the platform,

the rake-teeth lying horizontal until reaching the inclined plane P', up`which it ascends until it passes the cam-latch e at the end of theguide I), which drops under it. At this time the travel of the rake isreversed, as hereinbe- Y fore described, when it is compelled to moveforward on the top of the guide, which causes it to bring the rake-teethto a vertical position. As it moves toward the inner end of the platformit carries the grain lying there along with it, pushing it off theplatform onto an elevator, Q, consisting of a series of hookshaped rodsattached to a shaft jonrnaled in the outer ends of the rods Q', whoseinner ends are pivoted at f to the main frame.

g is a rock-shaft journaled in the frame under thebinding-platform R. Ateither end of the shaft is secured a lifting-lever, S, under theelevating rods Q'. The lever, at the rear end of the shaft, is extendedbeyond the shaft in the form of a sector, S', to the upper corner ofwhich a ilerible metallic or other strap, h, is secured. This strap isattached to the end of a bar, It', sliding in ways or guides i on theunder side of the platform I. On the upper side of this bar It' is aspring-latch, j, so arranged that when the bar passes with it through aloop, k, the latch is depressed. Now, it will be noticed that as therake is moving toward the elevator the elevator is lying down, withoutmotion, until the rake throws on it the gavel of grain. As the rakerecedes the rake-head comes in contact with the spring-latch on the barh', and draws it along, and, through the strap and sector, lifts thelevers S, which, in turn,raise the elevatorrods Q'; The elevator, withits gavel, is carried up the face of the apron T to an openbindingrack,U, behind which an attendant stands. In its passage up itcomes in contact with a series of holders, V, of the form shown in Fig.2, projecting from the transverse frame H.

In passing up, the gavelvis somewhat compressed, and after passingthrough the'con-- tracted part of the binding-rack and holders thelatterclose under it and hold it while being bound. In the meantime therake-head has'carried the bar `h' along until the springlatch approachesthe loop k, passing under which it is depressed, and withdrawn fromcontact with the rake-head, when the elevator and its attachments fallto a horizontal position of their own gravity, drawing back the strapand bar h'. The rake completes its movement, and in returning withanother gavel the rake-head depresses the springlatch in passing overit, and does not engage with it until it again recedes from theelevator.

The shaft of the elevator is provided with a crank-arm, m, whosewrist-pin, as the elevator rises, passing under a cam, W, causes theshaft to partially rotate, and to discharge the gavel into thebinding-rack.

X are spools loosely journaled in the frame at the rear ofthe bindersplatform. On these spools straw rope is wound for binding the gavelswith. The rope is led around a pulley, n, through an incasedcutting-shears, o, operated by a treadle, o', near which the attendantstands.

Y is the draft-pole, and Z is the drivers seat.

The operation of cutting the grain, raking it in gavels to the elevator,and their delivery to the binding-rack having been already eX- plained,the binding of the gavels is effected in the following manner: Thebinder, as each gavel is discharged into the binding-rack, draws enoughof the hay or straw rope through the jaw of the shear-case to bind it,and cuts it off by depressing the treadle o', which forces the cutterthrough it.

The free end of the rope is held in place against the pulley by aspring, p. The band is then passed around the gavel held between therack and holders, and tied, and as the succeeding gavel rises and forcesthe holders away from the rack, he discharges the bundle at the rear ofthe machine, when the process Y is repeated, as described.

What I claim as my inventiomand desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the shaft J, thel gears J and M, shaft L,chain-wheels K and L', chain a, double-racked bar N, and transverse barN', for reciprocating the rake-head O, substantially as described andset forth.

2. vIn combination with the transverse bar N', the rake-head O, providedwith crankarm d, the inclined plane P', guide P, camlatch e, and openplatform I, arranged and operating in relation to each other,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination ofthe elevator Q, crank m, elevator-rod Q', cam W,apron I, bindingrack U, and gavel-holders V, as and for lthe purpose setforth. v

4. The combination of the elevator-rods Q',

Athetransverse bar N', the lifting-levers S,

sector Se', strap h, bar h', spring-latch), loop lr, and guides z,arranged and operating in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

5. The arrangement upon the binding-platform of a harvester of thebinding-rope, the spools X, the pulley fn, the spring p, with the shearso, operated by the treadle o', when the several parts are constructed asdescribed, as and for the purpose set forth.

A. l). AYERS 'Witnesses H. F. Ennnrs, SAML. E. J oNns.

